Interview with Michelle Lovitt & Giveaway!

Hey guys,

I'm so excited for this post, as I have a little treat for you today! :)

I recently did an interview with {Michelle Lovitt}, fitness expert and personal trainer to some of the hottest celebrities. Michelle is SO cool, and I got to talk with her about all kinds of stuff - from eating healthy on-the-go to staying in shape for summer. She has such great tips, I'm sharing them with you today, along with a giveaway, so stay tuned until the end!

SC&P: First off, I want to know how you stay in shape! 

ML: "I work out with my clients. The majority of my clients have gyms in their homes, but because LA has such nice weather most of the time, they like to go outside. My clients like to do cardio via hiking and mountain biking. Personally, I like to take yoga classes - they keep me centered and help me with stretching."

SC&P: You've worked with a lot of celebrities (Courteney Cox, Julianne Moore, and Mary-Louise Parker, to name a few!). Who has been your favorite to work with?

ML: "I have a lot of favorite celebrities, but one of my best friends is Lauren Graham. She's like my sister. She was originally going to have Julian Michaels as her trainer, but Lauren doesn't respond well to having someone yell at her. The one thing that made a difference in Lauren was that she had never trained with a heart rate monitor. She'll be a friend for life. She's the girl next door, she's a blast. I always block out a lot of time because we'll go and do two and a half hour workouts."

SC&P: What kinds of workouts do you and Lauren do together?

ML: "We do everything! She has a gym at her house and we do workouts with weights, bands, balls. We go mountain biking and hike a lot. We're also trying to get back into horseback riding as well. You don't have to go to the gym to be fit."

SC&P: You have an insanely busy lifestyle. How do you eat healthy while you're on-the-go? 

ML: "For me, it's all about preparation. I always have raw cashews and almonds with me. I have a little cooler I keep in my car with hard boiled eggs. In order to maintain my energy level, I try to eat every three to four hours, whether it's a chicken breast or an apple with almond butter.  I don't like to get to the point where you're beyond hunger and you'll eat whatever comes your way."

SC&P: What's your favorite healthy snack right now? 

ML: "I'm in love with Greek yogurt! I always ask what's going to make Greek yogurt taste really good? I mix a half teaspoon of maple syrup in with my yogurt and add in chia seeds. Oh my Lord, you can put them in anything and it's all fiber! It's the new hot thing that people are adding to food.... But back to the yogurt bowl. I add in berries and mix it in a bowl. it's perfect when you're craving something sweet, and it's all natural."

SC&P: What do you think about having dessert? Because I love dessert, and it's hard for me to give up! 

ML: "I have a sweet tooth, and if you deprive yourself of anything you're only going to want it more. I will have a piece of dark chocolate, but it has to be above 70% dark. Cacoa should be the first ingredient. It's not baking chocolate, and it doesn't taste bitter. One or two bars will always take away my craving for sweets. I also like red wine! If I'm craving chocolate, I'll have a glass of red wine. I say it's everything in moderation." 

Michelle is also an ambassador for Zobha, the super chic workout line that offers workout and yoga wear, and even a maternity collection. Zobha carries cute workout clothes that are pretty enough to take you from the gym to the grocery store, to shopping and lunch with a friend.

The best part is that I'm hosting a giveaway with Zobha!

One lucky reader at Southern Curls & Pearls will have the opportunity to pick out any one item (under $70) from Zobha's collection.

I even had the chance to try out some of their products, and I chose the following:

{Y-back Bra} & {Nirvana Skort}

I wore both the other day for a Jazzercise class with my mom (with a shirt, of course!) and LOVE both of them. The sports bra is one of the most comfortable I've ever worn, and has a built-in liner that offers more support than anything I own. The skirt is also adorable, and I love how you can see the green shorts peeking through the side. A tip: order a size up from what you'd normally wear! I'm normally a zero, and I ordered both in a size 2. While the bra fit perfectly, I wish I had ordered a size up in the skort - it's just a teeeensy bit tight! But other than that, I love both and am super, super impressed with the quality.

 {Unflattering mirror pic... but you get the idea!}

It's so hard to narrow down my favorites. Here's a few more:

{Amelia Tank}{Ruched Capri}

How to Enter:

Mandatory:
You must be a follower of Southern Curls & Pearls via google reader and...
you must check out Zobha's website, and tell me your favorite item in the comments!

For extra entries:
{1 additional entry} Tweet about the giveaway
{1 additional entry} Blog about the giveaway

That leaves the possibility for three entries! Please leave each entry in a separate comment. The giveaway will close Wednesday, June 6th at 11 p.m. E.S.T.

Good luck!!! :)
Love, Cait

Beach Bag Necessities

Hey friends!

As  you probably know by now, I lovee the beach - it's one of my favorite places in the world. Nothing is as relaxing as lounging by the shore under the sun! However, the perfect day on the beach requires a little preparation...
and means a perfectly packed bag.

I picked up these two cuties from {mud-pie} last week:

The Tangerine Ikat {cooler tote} and {jetsetter case} are perfect for the beach since they're both laminated.

The cooler tote is insulated for snacks and drinks you want to keep cool, but roomy enough to carry your magazines and a towel as well. Here's what I packed it with:

{one} I have this summer straw hat from J.Crew and love it. The wide brim is perfect for protecting the skin on your face, not to mention floppy hats are always glamorous.

{two} A cute beach towel, of course! I love the huge ones made for two people, so you have plenty of room to spread out.

{three} Cheap aviators are a necessity for me! They're chic, offer eye protection, and because they're only a few dollars, you don't have to worry about losing them in the ocean.

{four} A tumbler is also a beach must-have. Staying hydrated is important because it can get so dern hot! I love Tervis tumblers because they don't sweat.

{five} A cute cover-up  is essential for walking to and from the beach. I always pack one in case we go straight to lunch or to the shops.

{six} I love filling my tumbler with Crystal Light! My favorite flavors are lemonade and pink lemonade, and they offer a lot of taste for not a lot of calories.

{seven} An adorable cooler tote to pack it all into!

Now that my big bag is all packed, I also carry a smaller case for accessories - my iPhone, lip balm, powder, etc.

 {nine} I use SPF 15 lotion on my body - it's enough to keep me from getting burned, but I can still achieve a golden tan.

{ten} Your face is the most delicate part of your body! Protect from sun damage, wrinkles, and even acne with this Neutrogena lotion with SPF 30.

{eleven} A small insulated case to keep my accessories safe from water and sand.

{twelve} I love this translucent mineral powder because it helps beat shine and it also contains SPF 30.

{thirteen} I use moroccan argan oil on my hair after I've been in the ocean. It makes my hair silky soft!

{fourteen} I get bored easily, so reading material is essential! I pack the bag with my favorite magazines {InStyle and Fitness Mag}, as well as a book of puzzles and a pen.
Can anyone else work puzzles on the beach for hours?

{fifteen} My lips always used to get sunburned on the beach, until I got smart and started wearing lip balm with SPF. I recommend Philosophy's "Kiss of Hope" because it has a pretty tint of pink.

{sixteen} A wide-tooth comb is a must-have for the beach hair tangles.

Whew, sorry for such a long post!
Am I missing anything? What are a few of your beach bag essentials? I'd love to know! :)

Love, Cait

Pink & Turquoise

Hey lovelies...

First off, happy Friday!

And secondly, remember this necklace?

I ordered it off Ebay {for only $15!}, but never told y'all how it turned out. 

The verdict? I love it! It's a pretty color and seemingly great quality - and fairly heavy. It's obviously not as nice as the original from J.Crew, but for $15 you seriously can't go wrong. There's even a faux J.Crew charm on it!

I wore the necklace for the first time yesterday at the beach, and thought I'd give you an OOTD with my favorite color combo... pink and turquoise :)

{Necklace: Ebay} {Tank: J.Crew}

{Skirt: J.Crew, sold out of pink}

My family lovvvves going out to eat at the beach. I actually hate strongly dislike seafood, but I'll take any excuse to get dressed up.

Momma and I! 

I'm swooning over this bow ring by Kate Spade. Mom and I visited the Tanger Outlet in North Myrtle a few days ago, and the entire Kate Spade store was 40% off! 

I couldn't find the exact same style online, but I did find a similar one {here}

I was also in need of a new pair of wedges, and couldn't turn down these {by Coach}. All I have to say is, thank goodness for grad money - it's really supplemented my closet lately!

The rest of my Friday includes relaxing on the beach and maybe a trip to Wilmington. Beach bag post coming soon!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Love, Cait

Beachin' It

Hello dears,

Long time no talk! 

You'd think that after graduating I'd have plenty of free time, right? Unfortunately, it's quite the opposite. Somehow I've kept busy, whether it's moving out, unpacking, running errands, or preparing for a much-needed beach trip. 

My family takes a trip to the beach every year, and this summer we decided to try out a new beach on the NC coast. We just arrived Saturday, but here are some pictures of what I've been up to.

Enjoying this beautiful scenery:

Breakfasting by the sea:

{Whole grain waffle, Greek vanilla yogurt + honey, fresh berries}

Catching some sunshine on the beach:

{SPF 15 Balm in Caring Coral, by L'Oreal}

Dressing up for fun dinners out:

Enjoying some amazing salads:

{Greek salad with grilled chicken, cucumbers, feta, tomatoes, and kalamata olives}

And finally, letting Lilly play in the sand... she's still afraid of the waves, but we're working on it!

:)

Be back soon with more updates, OOTDs, and a "what's in my beach bag" post. 

Catch you soon!

Love, Cait

Graduation

Whew.

Sorry for the brief hiatus from blogging, I've been busy preparing for graduation!

UNC's graduation was this past Sunday. I can't even put into words how weird it is that I'm no longer a college student!

I honestly can't believe it's over.

It has been a wonderful four years, and I've made memories I will cherish for the rest of my life, as well as friends that will last forever.

I love you girls!

"... But sometimes when the springtime comes,
And the sifting moonlight falls --
They'll think again of this night here
And of these old brown walls,
Of while old well, and of old South
With bell's deep booming tone,
They'll think again of Chapel Hill and --
Thinking -- come back home."

-Thomas Wolfe, UNC Class of 1920

To all those who are graduating, congratulations!

Love, Cait

What I'm Loving

I'm going to go ahead and apologize, for this post is super random! 

Here's what I'm loving with week:

1. Throwing my best friend's wedding shower!

 

I helped host Kelsey's wedding shower on Friday and we had a blast! We decided to have a "Backyard BBQ" themed shower. I designed these invitations and printed them on thin cardboard paper...

 

 

Mason jars made an appearance, along with these adorable red paper straws from Sur la Table:

 

 

For food, we had BBQ sliders, fresh veggies, watermelon, and corn on the cob.  

I even baked these cupcakes to go along with the theme:

 

 

{All I did for these was add red food coloring to store bought icing and pipe them onto the cupcakes. I placed the black dots with cookie icing, and then made cupcake holders from scrapbooking paper and scalloped scissors}

If only I had taken pictures of me and the bride-to-be!

 

2. This super cute calendar download for May

I downloaded this Ashley Brooke calendar to my iPhone, but you can also print it out for your wall. Isn't it the cutest?

Download it here.

3. This coral tote cooler

For summer, I'm obsessed with picnics... and even more obsessed with packing them. This coral tote is insulated and perfect for keeping your lunch cool!

Get yours here!

4. Lake days with friends

As graduation nears (it's SUNDAY!), I'm enjoying just goofing off and spending time with my closest friends. We recently took a trip to the lake and had so much fun. I love you guys!

I'm still packing up everything and trying to get ready for Sunday's graduation, but I have a couple of fun posts planned for the next week, so stay tuned! :)

Love, Cait

Cinco de Drinko

Happy Cinco de Mayo, babes!

The title is a joke... but let's be real. One of the reasons everyone loves celebrating Cinco de Mayo is because it's just an excuse to drink margaritas... (or is that just me?)

I made this delicious Guavarita over the weekend and just had to share with you. 

I love this drink because it's SUPER easy to make and it's also really healthy! 

Taken via instagram (@cmcoving)

It's made with guava nectar, which you can find in the hispanic section of the grocery store. You'll love that it has no added sugar but is naturally sweet... better than any margarita you can get from a restaurant! (At least my mom and I thought so when we enjoyed these over the weekend.)

Check out the recipe {here}.

Are you doing anything fun for Cinco de Mayo today? Please share!

Love, Cait