Red, White and Blue Fashion Made Easy

Looking to put a 4th of July outfit together head-to-toe and stay under $50? Sounds too good to be true... BUT Forever 21 has made it too easy!

Click here to check out all of their red, white and blue fashions categorized by color. All items are under $25!

We love their tie-dye brocade romper for $19.90. Pictured below.

July 4th Fashion

Are you fashionably ready for your 4th of July celebration?

If you are looking for some red, white and blue fashion tip, the Ex-cessories gals have you covered!

4th of July fashion on a budget:

Since most of us own a pair of white jeans, we recommend using your already owned white jeans as your 4th of July wardrobe base.

Add a pop of red with Gap's print crochet necklace top in red (pictured below) - $41.96, click here.

For a more casual look that not only fulfills the blue and white 4th look, but also the hot stripe trend, Banana Republic's striped ruffle racerback tank (pictured below) - $39.50, click here.

Add a great pair of flats or wedges to your wardrobe and accessorize accordingly.

More 4th of July fashion tips to come!

Hello Monday!

We try to start Mondays off with a well-balanced energizing breakfast. We need motivation and fuel to get through the busy day. We try to start every Monday with overnight oats.

There is no cooking involved in overnight oats! We prepare them on Sunday night so we have breakfast waiting for us on Monday morning.

We recommend this recipe:

* 1/3 cup regular oats

* 3/4 cup almond milk
* 2 tablespoons chia seeds
* 1 tiny ripe banana, peeled and smashed
* 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix together in a bowl and place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning add 1 tablespoon of almond butter or

peanut butter and a little maple syrup.

Stir and enjoy!

Friday Happy Hour

Enjoy a delicious and light happy hour drink this afternoon - Women's Health Magazine's Look Better Naked Signature Cocktail.

Pour 2 oz vodka over ice

Add 1 oz St. Germain (an elderflower liqueur)

1/2 oz fresh lime juice, and a splash of seltzer

Mix all ingredients

Garnish with fresh mint leaves

Yum!

Wanna Go - Britney Spears

Get your morning going with Britney Spears' new video for "Wanna Go".

Hot Hot Hot

The weather outside is HOT!

With stifling temperatures and high humidity, it is extremely difficult to stay cool. Try some of our stay cool tips below.

* Drink plenty of water! Stay hydrated to stay safe.

* Always protect yourself. Wear sunscreen at all times.

* Snack on foods that have high water properties - watermelon, melon and pineapple

* Wear a hat. A hat will shade your face from the sun and keep you cool.

* Enjoy popsicles for your summer dessert.

In the Raw "Breakup"

Empowering breakup brownies?

Our new favorite commercial! Watch below and let us know what you think.

Click here to learn more.

Favorite Shampoo & Conditioner

You often read about hair products that are supposed to "heal" and "nourish" your hair, "revitalizing" your hair from root to tip, but you rarely find these products live up to their promises. That was until we came across Bumble and Bumble's mending shampoo and conditioner.

Let's just say that this line of products really has transformed our hair for the better. Our hair is healthier and shinier without being weighed down with product. We have tried expensive products and cheap products, but have to say that Bumble and Bumble's mending line is our clear winner.

You can learn more about the line and product by clicking here.

Do you have a favorite shampoo and conditioner? Let us know under "comments".

Father's Day - June 19

Father's Day is around the corner! Are you looking for tips to make dad's day special? We have you covered!

If you and your dad live in the same town:

Take your dad for an early morning walk and then cook him a nice brunch. The walk will allow you to get some quiet quality time and cooking will show that you remember his favorite foods. Don't forget the card!

If you and your dad don't live in the same town:

Make sure to send him his card prior to father's day and be the first to call him and wish him a happy father's day. Remind him how special he is to you even though you are unable to spend the day with him. You can also send him a cookie bouquet or his favorite sweet treat.

New Favorite Juice Drink

We love to try new smoothies and juice drinks. We have experimented with everything from the popular "green juices" to protein smoothies, but have to say we may have found our favorite juice drink of all time at our local Whole Foods.

The drink is currently on special for $4.99 and contains (pictured above):

- Pear Juice

- Lime Juice

- Apple Juice

- Frozen Pineapples

The frozen pineapples add a thickness to this drink that we love and the lime juice adds a slight tart taste that is extremely refreshing. We will definitely be going back for more!

Another Whole Foods juice bar special that we are looking forward to trying is the Beet Down Juice (apple, lime, beet, spirulina).

Do you have a favorite smoothie or juice that you crave? Any creative recipes? Let us know under "comments".

Hershey's Air Delight

Loving Hershey's chocolate treats is not a difficult task. They have now given us a new reason to crave their product - Hershey's Kisses Air Delight!

Instead of being filled with chocolate, nuts or cream, they are filled with air bubbles. The chocolate is not only physically lighter but lighter on calories. A standard portion size (200 calories) is 9 pieces, but with Air Delight, you get 11 pieces.

This type of product is extremely popular in Europe and we are glad it made it over our way.

Have you tried the new Kisses Air Delight? Thoughts?

Summer Rain

Keep yourself protected from the summer rain while still looking fashionable with a colorful and fab umbrella.

We picked out some of our favorites:

Jonathan Adler's Aztec Diamond Umbrella - $25. Click here for more info (pictured above).

Felix Ray's Let the Sun Shine Umbrella - $65. Click here for more info (pictured above).

Echo's Watercolor stripe umbrella - $35. Click here for more info.

Totes Bubble Umbrella - $16.99. Click here for more info.

Salt?

Should you slash your salt intake?

This is a question we think about often and know many others out there do too. An internist and dietitian spoke with Health magazine on the topic. Click here to find out what they had to say.

Our take:

If you have medical complications than absolutely! But, if you are healthy, we recommend that you read the sodium label on your foods and put down the salt. Once you start to read the labels, you might be shocked. Salsa and tomato sauce are 2 foods that can have a lot of hidden salt. Being aware is the first step! Another tip we use, add spices to your food to add flavor without having to add more salt. The heat of spices can be just as flavorful.

Monday Morning Jam

We cannot get enough of Jason Aldean featuring Kelly Clarkson in "Don't You Wanna Stay". Listen below and get ready for a big Monday and great work week!

Mario Batali's Pizza and Pasta Sauces

Last night we made chicken parmesan and while we were picking up groceries for the recipe, we were seeking a new tomato sauce to try. We came across Mario Batali's tomato basil pasta sauce and after reading the ingredients had to give it a try.

Batali's sauce is crafted from imported San Marzano tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil combined with fresh basil and fresh sauteed carrots and red onions. The sauces are hand crafted at Summer Garden Food Manufacturing, the only Green LEED Certified Manufacturing facility in North America and NO paste, puree, or sugar is added to any of Mario’s sauces.

Our review...

... AMAZING! We are officially obsessed. The flavor was so rich that we could eat the sauce right out of the jar. Batali's sauce was a wonderful addition to our chicken parmesan and we will definitely be going back for more. We don't know how we could use anything else now!

To learn more about Batali's sauces, click here.

Tropical Smoothie

Craving the tropics mid work week? Get your fix by enjoying a pina colada smoothie. This smoothie has the flavor you crave and nutrients your body needs.

Ingredients:

- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

- 1 (or more) tsp coconut extract

- 1 cup ice

- 1 cup pineapple chunks

- xanathan gum

- Handful of spinach

Combine all ingredients in a blender, mix and enjoy!