Planning to cheat

We leave today for New York and a cruise to Bermuda. Will we stay on our diet? Absolutely not. Summer is an excellent time to cheat on your diets and fitness plans. Summer cookouts, vacations, amusement park food and those fast food solutions going to and from events are all culprits.

Granted the wiser choice would be to make smarter decisions when selecting meals; and we will try to be conscious of what we eat throughout. We have another approach which we believe will work for us and hopefully for some of you.

We have already set a date to restart our fitness regime including diet and workout schedule. Sort of like a New Year’s resolution. We will order our 30 day fitness plans the morning of the 15th from New York so everything should be at our home when we return on July 16. July 18 is our day to go to the grocery store and stock our pantry and frig with healthy choices. On July 19 we begin.

Knowing that we have committed to this plan allows us to relax and enjoy our cheating. We don’t advocate cheating all summer, but if a vacation is going to be ruined by guilt and concern over what you are or are not eating, by all means cheat and enjoy.

1. For information on the Arbonne 30-day Fitness Plan, contact us. And have a safe, happy and guilt free summer.

Here Comes the Sun: Five Important Sun Safety Tips

After what feels like forever, it’s officially summer. Here in Chicagoland, the temperatures are already reaching for the nineties, and it’s only going to get hotter from here. Of course, the heat typically sends us to one of two places: the comfort of our air-conditioned homes, or to the beach for a cooling dip in the lake.

We might love the sun, but the sun certainly doesn’t love us back. Exposure to the sun can cause wrinkles, age spots, and is the #1 cause of skin cancer. According to this Web MD article, sun exposure causes many of our skin’s changes that we assume is a normal part of aging. Over time, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light damages the fibers in the skin, called elastin. When these fibers break down, the skin begins to sag, stretch, and lose its ability to go back into place. So, while sun damage to the skin may not be apparent when you’re young, there’s no question that it will show later in life.

Now, we don’t say these things to scare you, but we do want you to be aware more than anything about the effect the sun can have on your skin. Nothing that you can do will ever undo damage caused by too much sun, but it’s never too late to begin protecting yourself. Here are our five tips for summer sun care:

1. Apply sunscreen early and often. As luxurious as those tanning oils may look, you will need a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, and be sure to apply it at least thirty minutes before sun exposure and for every two hours after, especially if you are sweating or swimming. Arbonne’s BefoRE Sun Damage Control Water Resistant Sunscreen is SPF 30 and it includes a premium sunscreen ingredient, Parsol® 1789. It also helps prevent sunburn by preserving maximum SPF even after 40 minutes of activity in the water.

2. UV protection with your makeup. Select cosmetics and skincare products that offer UV protection. Both FC5 Day Lotions from Arbonne as well as the Revelage Age Spot Brightening Hand Therapy contain SPF 20 and SPF 30 sunscreen, respectively, so you’re protected even when you’re not at the beach.

3. When possible, wear protective clothing. We understand that it’s hard to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when it’s ninety degrees out, but try to cover your skin as much as possible. Even a wide-brimmed hat while you’re at the beach can do wonders for sun protection (and they’re stylish, too!).

4. Know your peak sun exposure hours. The sun’s rays are the strongest between the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., so if you can, plan to stay indoors or in the shade for those four hours.

5. Become familiar with your skin. The Skin Cancer Foundation (SCF) suggests that everyone practice monthly head-to-toe skin examinations so that they can be aware of anything new or out-of-the-ordinary. The SCF website is a great resource if you’re wondering about what to look for and what might be considered an early warning sign of skin cancer.

These tips may seem like no-brainers, but when it comes to sun protection and awareness, every little bit of advice helps. Enjoy the summer, but make sure you “practice safe sun”!

Make-Ahead Salads: When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking

I’m sure we aren’t the only ones who get a little lazy with cooking during the summer months. Regardless of whether you have central air or all the ceiling fans in the world, there’s just something about June, July, and August that makes you want to do the easiest thing possible — especially when it comes to food.

Errol and I stumbled across this post all about “make-ahead salads” a few weeks ago, and it seems like the best of several worlds. First, you get to actually USE all of those farmer’s market veggies and fruits that you seem to bring home every week. Second, you get to make these beautiful works of food art — and then you get to eat them. And finally, what’s not to like about using a Mason jar for absolutely anything and everything? Needless to say, we are sold. These salads are great for anything — an office lunch, a picnic in the park, you name it.

According to Aimee, author of the Simple Bites blog we liked so much, there are a few things to note when you’re attempting these salads:

• First, you need to start with a clean, wide-mouth jar that is completely dry. Aimee reports that “moisture is not the friend of a crisp salad.”
• Instead of cutting lettuce, tear it. Cut lettuce will show browning edges in no time.
• Always start with the salad dressing on the bottom, and don’t let the greens come in contact with it. They will inevitably wilt.
• Put a folded paper towel at the top of the salad just before you put the lid on. Aimee says this helps absorb some of the extra moisture and helps to keep the greens more crisp.
• Last but certainly not least, there are certain things to avoid when it comes to the salad-in-a-jar ingredients. Specifically, Aimee avoids those that “emit a particular odor that gets stronger with time, such as eggs, blue cheese, tinned fish, and raw onion.” She also says that things like strawberries and diced tomatoes tend to “weep” after a few days and can get a bit soft in the bottom of a jar. By no means does this mean you can’t have a salad without these things — it’s just a good idea to put those in a separate container and bring those with you, too.

The two salad ideas that Aimee writes about in this post look absolutely amazing — a Spring Pea and Romaine with Feta, Cucumber, and Radish, Creamy Buttermilk Dressing as well as a Arugula, Blueberry and Bacon Salad with Almonds, Balsamic Vinaigrette, but we’ve discovered a few more through our research:

Kale, Cherry, Pistachio and Brussels Salad: We love this salad because it’s a great way to enjoy two very dense (but very good for you) vegetables: kale and brussels sprouts. The simple EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), balsamic, and dijon dressing softens the veggies a bit — and we’re guessing you could even shake/stir this one up and leave it in the fridge for an hour so that it has a chance to really marinate! This recipe is from a great blog called Nutritional Style.

Mexican Chickpea Salad with Chile-Lime Dressing: This recipe is one of many that is included in a recent post of a blog called Back to Her Roots. All of the recipes look delicious, but we picked this one for the chickpeas, which we love, as well as the inclusion of the brown rice to give the salad additional substance. Cassie, the blogger, suggests subbing in black beans or kidney beans instead of the chickpeas if you want to switch it up a bit.

If you go ahead and attempt any of these salad recipes (or, if you have one of your own!), we’d love to hear about it in our blog comments!

Get Summer Ready with Arbonne

Some people love the winter and the snow; others, the crisp, cool months of fall. Us? We’re summer people ALL the way, and summer in our neck of the woods (Chicagoland) is nothing short of magnificent. Every restaurant seems to have a patio, there’s at least three festivals going on every weekend, and hey–the days get longer, which I don’t think anyone ever complains about.

We may be a bit biased, but nothing gets us ready for our favorite season more than the Arbonne products we use on a day-to-day basis. And this summer, Arbonne has come out with a bunch of new products in addition to the usual favorites. So, we thought we’d take a bit of time to introduce you to the five products we’ve been using to get us “summer ready” — in mind, body, as well as spirit!

1) Mango Pineapple Fit Chews. We may have said this in a previous blog, but we have a bit of a mild obsession with Arbonne’s Lemon Fit Chews, so when we saw that there was a limited-edition summer flavor, we did a little happy dance. If you’ve never tried Fit Chews, they’re a great way to help control cravings while keeping your energy level high. We encourage you to try all of the flavors, but if you’re interested in this particular one, better get this summer-only flavor before they’re gone!

2) FC5 Oil-Absorbing Day Lotion with SPF 20 Sunscreen. How many times have you been told that you need to wear sunscreen on your face, and how many times have you said, “Yeah, you’re probably right” and then have never done it? This moisturizer is all-in-one. It absorbs oil (ALWAYS a good thing) and filters UV rays, and it really leaves your skin with a fresh, matte appearance.

3) BefoRE Sun Damage Control Water Resistant Sunscreen with SPF 30. Seeing a sunscreen theme here? We can’t live without this advanced, water-resistant formula. It includes a premium sunscreen ingredient, Parsol 1789, and helps prevent sunburn by preserving maximum SPF–even after 40 minutes of water activity.

4) Daily Essentials Spray Vitamin D+B12. This unique spray supplement delivers efficacious (don’t you love that word?) levels of essential vitamins D and B12 to support energy, immunity, calcium absorption, and more. And it tastes like a tropical paradise–what’s not to like about that? This is one of Arbonne’s newest products that was introduced at GTC 2013, and it’s become very popular, especially if you aren’t crazy about taking supplements in pill form.

5) Limited-Edition “Polished for Summer” Set. Summer is all about splurging, isn’t it? You’ve survived the long winter, and now all you want to do is get out the dresses and shorts, the flip flops, and spoil yourself with all of the sunshine. This set includes everything you need to take care of yourself all summer long: FC5® Exfoliating Body Scrub and Skin Conditioning Oil; BefoRE Sun Made in the Shade Self-Tanner Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Sunscreen and Glow With It After Sun Lotion; Arbonne Cosmetics Bronzer, Sheer Glow Highlighter, Java Eye Shadow, Petal Eye Shadow, Vanilla Eye Shadow, Eyebrow Gel, Posh Lip Polish, and It’s A Long Story Mascara. The best part? This set retails for $323, but can be yours for only $285! Like the Fit Chews we talk about above, this set is only available while supplies last, so act quickly if you’d like one of your own!

For the end of this post, we wanted to let our readers know that we are once again pairing up with the Courtyard Heathcare Center in Berwyn for our Adopt-a-Grandparent program, where we honor the fathers and grandfathers who don’t have visitors or family to come see them over Father’s Day weekend. We are asking for donations of $20 to cover the cost of an Arbonne hand cream and lip saver, which we purchase at our discount cost with no commission. We cover the shipping, too! if you’re interested in supporting our cause, click HERE to send us an email. We thank you in advance for your support!

The Arbonne Party: It’s Not What You Think.

We’ve been with Arbonne for a while now, and we’ve heard a lot of interesting ideas that people have about the company and exactly what we stand for. In fact, so many people miss getting involved with Arbonne because of these misconceptions, whether it be about network marketing, the Arbonne products themselves, or other things. We have to say that the biggest amount of false information we hear surrounds hosting an Arbonne party, and we thought we’d take the time in this blog post to clear up any myths that you might have. Who knows — our words might even encourage you to throw one of your own!

Myth #1: It isn’t a party at all, just a way for Arbonne consultants to push products.

Perhaps you’ve attended a network marketing party where the consultant is a bit, well, pushy. Everyone sells products differently depending on their personality and what they are comfortable with, so if you’ve been given the “hard sell” at a party, don’t let it sour you on the products. Simply put, Errol and I like hosting parties because we really do love these products and are eager to share them with everyone. And we cannot stress enough that there is NEVER any obligation to purchase products, even if you’ve sampled a million things that evening. Arbonne parties simply give you a way to try a new line of products that you may not be familiar with. If you do decide to purchase a product at a party, you know that you are purchasing it from a licensed consultant who will give you the Arbonne 45-day guarantee, which means that if you use the product for 45 days and still aren’t satisfied, you can send it back to us (it can be completely empty!) and get a FULL refund. Seriously…NO obligation in the least.

Myth #2: It’s a party at your house, but the Arbonne consultant runs the show.

There’s a good chance that if you’re new to Arbonne, we may know more about the products than you and can educate and help in that regard–but if you host a party, it is 100% your show. We love nothing more than you telling us what you’d like to focus on for the gathering. If you like the cosmetic line the most, let us come over and give you and your friends makeovers. If it’s the Fit Essentials you’re interested in, let’s plan to buy some fruit and almond milk or yogurt and have a Smoothie Party with Arbonne Protein Powder. Looking for a little pampering? We’ll bring out the face masks and the aromatherapy line! Honestly, it’s all about what YOU would like to do, right down to drinks, food, and all of that jazz. After all, these are your friends, and getting together with them and sharing some great products is really what it’s all about. The other important thing to note is that is doesn’t even need to really be a party, which means no dramatic housecleaning and no banquet of food for your friends. It’s as simple as calling up a few people and saying, “Hey, what are you doing tomorrow (or the night after)? Want to come over, get a facial, and drink some wine?

Myth #3: Because it’s an Arbonne party, none of my friends will show up.

This is the myth that gives us the most pause. Whatever your feelings are about Arbonne, we will bet you money that the majority of your friends have heard of Arbonne, and of that majority, there are more than a few who have always been curious about it. We mentioned it above, but we’ll say it again–there’s no obligation to buy, which means it’s a party to pamper you and your friends. Your friends will have fun, and they will leave relaxed. There are samples that we send people home with, and we even raffle off a few Arbonne party prizes throughout the course of the evening (and really, who doesn’t like free stuff?). So, don’t worry about people showing up, because they will. And even if only a few show up, some of the best parties we’ve been to (Arbonne and otherwise!) have had just a few people.

If you’re at all interested in Arbonne products–or if you’d like to introduce some friends to them (and as a result, get host rewards you can spend on Arbonne products for yourself!)–please connect with us on Facebook. We’d love to help you throw an amazing party

Arbonne Protein Shakes: Some of Our Favorite Recipes!

The proverbial “they” says that “variety is the spice of life,” and no matter how good something tastes, it’s inevitable that after awhile, you’ll need to change it up a bit in order to keep enjoying it. For us, this has been the case with Arbonne’s Protein Shake Mix. If you haven’t had Arbonne’s shake mix yet, we can’t say enough good things about it. In addition to being absolutely delicious and devoid of that chalky taste that so many other protein powders have, it’s also made from vegan protein — pea, cranberry, and rice proteins, to be exact. Vegan protein means no whey and no soy, and no cholesterol or trans fats, either. It keeps us feeling full longer than anything else we’ve tried, too, which is always important when you’re trying to create a healthy lifestyle!

Throughout our Arbonne journey, we’ve been on the lookout for Arbonne Protein Shake recipes that are a bit more interesting than your run-of-the mill powder/almond milk/fruit/veggies combinations that we had come to know. So, from our beginning “30 Days to Fit” journey in January until the present, here are a few of our favorite Arbonne Protein Shake recipes with links to the creative people who thought them up in the first place:

Strawberry Mint Cucumber Protein Shake: This recipe comes to us from Amy Watson, an Arbonne Independent Consultant in California. We love Amy’s blog, Amy’s Arbonne Adventures, and were a bit skeptical at first about how this one was going to taste. I mean, we were behind the strawberry part, and maybe the mint part, but the cucumber? Once we tried it, however, we quickly changed our tune — as Amy writes in her blog post, “it’s like a spa in a smoothie!” She also notes that if you are on Arbonne’s “30 Days to Fit” program, this shake meets the program requirements. For the full recipe, click HERE to go to Amy’s blog and check it out!

Triple Tropic & Pina Colada Protein Shakes: Another blog we love for protein shake ideas is “A Pure New You,” which is maintained by Arbonne Independent Consultant Katelyn Dawson. Katelyn’s got a TON of recipe ideas on her blog, but there are two in particular that have us craving summer — the Pina Colada and the Triple Tropic. Both are essentially made with Arbonne Vanilla Protein Powder, Arbonne Fiber Boost, and fresh fruit, as well as a little coconut milk and coconut extract for the Pina Colada shake. To see both of the recipes (and many others) click HERE.

Strawberry Shortcake & Chocolate Macaroon Shakes: Sometimes, you just want something good for you that also happens to taste like a decadent dessert, and these two shakes definitely fit the bill. These two come to us via Kendra Cannoy, a personal trainer and health consultant who is also an independent consultant for Arbonne. She includes these two shakes on a blog post called “5 Delicious Ways to Enjoy Arbonne Protein Shakes,” and we can’t argue with her there. Like the recipes on Katelyn’s blog, these are made from just a few ingredients. To check out the blog post, where you’ll find other great recipes, click HERE.

Chunky Monkey Protein Shake: We saved the most decadent shake for last, but if you can believe it, this is packed with a bunch of powerfoods, such as avocado and walnuts. Again we visit Amy Watson’s blog for this one. The peanut butter she adds into the shake isn’t full-fat peanut butter, but a product called PB2, which is actually gluten-free, all-natural peanut butter powder. If you’re wondering where to find it, don’t worry — she provides a link to Amazon, where she purchases hers. One piece of advice: Don’t let the avocado scare you in the shake ingredients. Its taste is undetectable and only adds to the creaminess! To get the goods on this shake, click HERE.

Mother’s Day, and Looking Ahead to Father’s Day

For those of you who were wondering, our Mother’s Day Adopt-a-Grandparent program was a success! Pictured above are the fifteen Mother’s Day gift bags we gave out at a retirement home in our Berwyn, Illinois neighborhood. We first had the idea to partner with this retirement home for Mother’s Day a few months ago, and with the help of a program direct who helped us determine women who might not have any visitors for Mother’s Day weekend, we set about our task. We asked interested supporters to chip in $20 for each of the bags, which contained a simple gift of Arbonne’s FC5 Hand Cream and a lip balm.

Errol had the pleasure of dropping off the bags and visiting with the women, which I was bummed about, as I was knee-deep in rehearsals for a show I’m stage managing. He reported that all of the women he had visited were genuinely surprised, and just getting a gift was SO huge for them. He would have liked to have visited longer, but the women he was able to talk to solidified that the endeavor was well worth the time and energy.

We wanted to extend a sincere thank you to all of you that made this program possible….you really brightened the days of the ladies we talked with. To that end, we’re planning on doing the same thing for Father’s Day in a few weeks (on a side note, can you believe May is almost over?), so if you’d like to participate in that Adopt-a-Grandparent program, please email us and let us know. It’s only $20 per gift bag!

Speaking of Father’s Day, it’s not too early to start thinking about Father’s Day gifts, given how quickly Mother’s Day came up on all of us. Instead of another new tie or box of golf balls, why not give him the gift of great-looking skin and a healthy lifestyle courtesy of Arbonne? Trust us, dads care about this stuff, too:

• Arbonne Sky for Men Cologne: It smells, honestly, like a dad should smell: woodsy and herbal, with hints of brilliant citrus top notes.
• RE9 Advanced for Men Set: This set includes RE9 Advanced for Men Exfoliating Wash, Shave Gel, Post-Shave Balm, and Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 Sunscreen. And, because was it created with Father’s Day in mind, Arbonne is offering a 10% discount when you purchase the set ($117 instead of $130).
• Arbonne Protein Powder: We know, it sounds like an odd gift. But for a dad who’d like to get a bit healthier for the summer, or one who needs a quick breakfast or lunch, a set of Arbonne’s Chocolate and Vanilla Protein Powder might be just the gift they need.
• Arbonne Essentials Antioxidant & Immunity Booster: These little three-ounce shots (they come in a pack of 24 bottles) of goodness contains juices from pomegranate, blueberry, acai, grape, cranberry, and other known superfruits; infused with powerful antioxidant and immunity ingredients as well as ingredients for energy. That couldn’t be too bad for dad to drink on a regular basis, right?

If you need any other ideas, we’ve been following this Pinterest board called, “The Arbonne Man”. The page is curated by the Arbonne men of the Home Office. They call out Arbonne’s Fizz Sticks, the FC5 Hydrating Eye Cream, and the FC5 Skin Conditioning Oil as other possibilities to pamper Dad! Because yes, they need to be pampered too.

The Path to Wellness Begins…in the Kitchen

Errol and I get an lot of newsletters in our email inboxes, and sometimes we’re so busy that it’s difficult to keep up with reading all of them — even if they’re packed with great information. One of the e-newsletters I routinely receive is from Isabella “Izzy” Libmann, owner of IzzyFit Personal Training in Evanston (for those of you not in Chicago, Evanston is a suburb about twelve miles north of downtown Chicago). One of Izzy’s articles in her recent e-newsletter was a guest post by professional organizer Cindy Levitt about how to organize your kitchen for optimal health and wellness.

Now, this was something I thought I knew about, but after reading the article, I realized how simple some of her suggestions were. According to Cindy, not only does organizing your kitchen space make things less cluttered and easier to find, but it actually creates a more nourishing space to prepare meals and support your health and wellness goals. We loved the article so much we thought we’d devote a bit of space in this week’s blog to some of Cindy’s suggestions, as well as others that we’ve found:

Get Rid of Some, and Sort All: According to Cindy, this is the first step of kitchen organization. In order to make it as simple of a space to live in as possible, you’re going to have to get rid of some stuff, and the way you do that is by cleaning each individual drawer, cabinet, and shelf and take an honest look at what’s inside. She actually advises setting a timer to keep you on track and to make sure you don’t “zig zag” around (by this, she means putting things away that don’t belong in the kitchen — save all of those little trips for later). As you’re cleaning, take a good, hard look at all of your stuff. Do you really need 50 Tupperware containers that are all the same size and half are stained red from spaghetti sauce? Probably not — time to throw some of those away. Same with the waffle iron you bought five years ago with the intention of making homemade Belgian Waffles for your family every night. If you haven’t used it in a year, donate it to someone who will. This “edit and sort” step obviously goes for your food as well. Throw away all of the expired food and the food that you no longer use.

Determine Where Things Go: Now that you’ve cleaned out what you don’t need, it’s time to figure out where the stuff you’re keeping is going to go. Store like-minded things together, like pots & pans, baking dishes, food storage containers, etc. Also, keep the items you use most often within easy reach, and the items you use less on a higher shelf or, like Levitt says, out of the kitchen altogether. And, if you only use the KitchenAid stand mixer twice a year, there’s a good chance it doesn’t need to be on your kitchen counter taking up space.

Make Sure It Stays Organized: Of course, we’ve all been there. It’s one thing to clean and organize your kitchen, but it’s another thing entirely to keep it clean and organized. The biggest roadblock to a organized, stress-free kitchen is to keep your kitchen counters clear. Again, the KitchenAid mixer example we used above bears repeating. A kitchen counter free of every appliance you own is not only less cluttered, but it will be a lot easier to keep clean. In terms of food items, remember to rotate your food after you come back from the grocery store. Put your new items in back of the pantry, and rotate the old items forward. This goes for things like vegetables or yogurt in your fridge, too. Also, make sure that those healthy snacks that you purchase are easy to see and reach.

As we were researching this post, we also came across this article from SELF Magazine about how to organize your kitchen. The article deals mainly with what’s inside your fridge, but we thought it was full of some great ideas, too!

Happy kitchen cleaning! We’d love to hear if any of Cindy Levitt’s tips worked for you!

Christmas in April: Two NEW Arbonne Product Lines!

  

We are back from Arbonne’s 2013 Global Training Conference (GTC), and talk about a whirlwind two days! Even though we arrived in Las Vegas on approximately 3 and 3/4 hours of sleep (we had a late rehearsal the night before, so taking a “long nap” seemed like the best option!), we were super excited for what the next few days would have in store for us.

We’ll have more about our thoughts on GTC in our next blog post, but in the meantime, we will say this: between connecting with old friends and meeting new ones, all of the awesome training workshops, and the amazing camaraderie that seamlessly occurs between you and 14,000 other people, it’s safe to say that this year’s GTC was one of the best experiences we’ve had as consultants.

However, we know that for the people who use our products on a daily basis, the most exciting part of GTC are the new products that are launched (because really…who doesn’t like NEW stuff?). At this year’s conference, 11 — yep, eleven — new products were unveiled, and for this blog, we’re going to focus on the eight that make up Arbonne’s two brand-new lines: the Pure Vibrance hair care line, and the Calm skin care line.

The Pure Vibrance line contains exclusive Arbonne ColorLast technology, a unique botanical blend that helps to prevent fading and help lock in color for healthy looking hair with lustrous shine and softness. People with color-treated hair should especially love this statistic: according to a clinical color fade study conducted by an independent lab, 93% of hair color was retained after 20 washes with the Pure Vibrance Lustre Fortifying Shampoo.

In addition to the Lustre Fortifying Shampoo, the line also includes Fortifying Creme Conditioner, a Hair Revitalizing Masque, and a Texturizing Mousse. All of the products are paraben-free and sulfate-free, with no artificial colors or synthetic fragrances.

Arbonne’s new Calm skin care line is lightweight and extra-gentle for even the most sensitive skin types. According to an independent clinical study, 88% of users say the collection soothed their skin; 88% agreed the collection hydrated their skin, and 82% said it helped their skin feel softer and smoother with improved appearance to skin tone. If those weren’t good enough percentages, of the users who continued to use the skin line for seven days, 100% agreed it was one of the most gentle product lines they have used on their skin, and 94% reported relief from skin tightness and dryness.

The Calm product line includes a Gentle Daily Cleanser, Soothing Facial Serum, Gentle Daily Moisturizer and Soothing Eye Gel. All products are all sulfate- and fragrance-free, just as you’d expect with a system for sensitive skin.

We can’t wait to be able to show these products to you in person, but in the meantime, check them out for yourself by heading to the Arbonne site and clicking on the “Fresh from GTC” banner on the top. All eleven of the new items will be there for your browsing enjoyment!

Remember, we’re doing an “Adopt-a-Grandparent” program on May 11 at a retirement community in our Berwyn neighborhood in honor of Mother’s Day, and we’d love your support! We are asking people to donate $20 to purchase a small Arbonne gift package that will be given to ladies who may not have family or other company visiting them on Mother’s Day. If you are interested in helping out our cause by making a small donation, please email us and let us know!

Arbonne Protein Powder: More Than Just Shakes

We consider ourselves fairly creative people, but when we started our Arbonne “30 Days to Fit” journey, we have to admit that we got burned out pretty quickly with the same ol’ protein shakes we were making. Let’s face it — we as people are used to having a variety of choices, so when you’re making a “lifestyle change” (we think “diet” is an icky word), sometimes the lack of choices gets a little hard to, well, stomach.

But here’s the thing — Arbonne’s Fit Essentials — and the protein powder in particular — is useful for WAY more than just your typical protein-shake-with-fruit breakfast or lunch. Through our blogging and our posts on our Facebook and Twitter page, we’ve uncovered a lot of great ways to use Arbonne Protein Shake Mix that go above and beyond the typical. Below are a few awesome recipes as well as the blogs that they came from:

No Bake Arbonne Protein Shake Bars (recipe from Get Plant Fit):

Serving size: 24 bars (Note: Half (12 bars) will fill a 9×13 pan. You can also make 6 bars and fill an 8×8 pan).

Ingredients:

2 cups organic peanut butter
1 ¾ cups honey or agave nectar (if vegan, use agave nectar)
2 ¼ cups Arbonne Essentials™ Protein Shake Mix powder (Vanilla, Chocolate, or a mixture of both!)
3 cups rolled oats

Instructions:

1. Mix peanut butter and honey in a microwaveable bowl.
2. Heat for 60–90 seconds. Mix well.
3. Add Protein Shake Mix powder and mix well.
4. Add rolled oats and mix gently.
5. Spread in a 9×13 pan.
6. Refrigerate 1 hour.
7. Cut into 24 squares.

It’s also worth noting that Get Plant Fit has a ton of other great recipes that use not only Arbonne Protein Shake Mix, but Arbonne Fizz Sticks as well (Amber, the personal trainer and plant-based diet enthusiast that maintains the blog, uses the Fizz Sticks in her Granola Energy Bars, and she makes Red Velvet Protein Bars using cooked beets!).

Another blog we honestly can’t get enough of is Amy’s Arbonne Adventures, maintained by Amy Watson, a fellow Arbonne Independent Consultant. Amy is so amazing at finding ways to use Arbonne Protein Shake Mix, and she calls these her “no-bake, five-minute prep, keep them in the fridge, ‘yes, sweetie, you can have a brownie’, healthy chocolate protein bars.

Healthy “Brownie” Recipe (recipe from Amy’s Arbonne Adventures)

Ingredients:

8 scoops Arbonne Essentials Chocolate Protein Shake Mix (powder)
16 oz tub almond butter (Amy actually grinds her own almond butter — Whole Foods usually lets you do this!)
1/4-1/3 cup agave nectar
Optional: 2 scoops Arbonne Daily Fiber Boost

Instructions:

Add water to get it to the right consistency.

Mix together, press into a dish, and refrigerate for at least 5 or 10 minutes.

Cut into squares and enjoy!!!

You can also add oatmeal or crispy brown rice cereal (about 2 cups).

Amy says that these also taste good with the Vanilla Protein Shake Mix, or a mixture of both. And if these weren’t easy enough to make, they also freeze well, too!

We know what you’re thinking. Some days, you want something that doesn’t look like a protein bar or a granola bar or ANYTHING that is remotely good for you. You want something BAD for you. Like, a cookie.

A cookie? Done. This Apple Pecan Cookie recipe comes from Simply Fit Kitchen, a Facebook recipe site that is maintained by another Arbonne Independent Consultant and Area Manager, Valerie Marion:

Arbonne Apple Pecan Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups of blanched almond flour
2 scoops Arbonne Vanilla Protein Powder
1 scoop Arbonne Fiber
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup dehydrated apples – chopped (add more if you like)
1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

Combine dry ingredients into a bowl.

Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir with a fork.

Add apples and nuts.
Bake on a greased cookes sheet for 7 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cool before removing from cookie sheet.

Besides being thankful for Arbonne’s Fit Essentials products, we’re also thankful that there are so many people out there willing to get creative with them! Thanks for reading, and happy baking (or, in the case of some of these recipes, no-baking)!