Showing posts with label foodies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label foodies. Show all posts

Friday, March 2, 2018

The Darling Physique: Fitness Goals for 2018

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   Bonjour!   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


To kick off the start of my new wellness plan for the year, I composed my first fitness flatlay of 2018. Why am I focusing on exercise and healthy workout habits when I barely tip the scales over 100 lbs? Let me tell you a little story about my previous brushes with *shudder* athleticism. 

First of all, I was often one of those pick-for-last type of players at recess/PE. Why? Because my sport skills stink and my ability to show myself in excellent shape is about as likely as a squirrel who has been hit by a car or two and left along the side of the road. Sound depressing? Wait until my later years. 

In college I decided to ride my bike 3-5 miles into town on my way to participate in a research study. This decision was made hastily after a night of potato-couching and a lifetime of MUCH smaller bike expeditions. Also, I hadn't even eaten breakfast before I left. Yet here I was, pedaling my little legs to death trying to make it across a city previously never traversed by myself and my bike. I got as far as the downtown police station before I had to stop and vomit on the sidewalk; fortunately, there were no officers dutifully patrolling the grounds at that moment. UNfortunately, a lady happened past in her motorized wheelchair, saw me clinging to whatever was left of my couch-potatoed life, and asked concernedly if I was alright. Because I was afraid this would happen, I had pulled out my cellphone (which at that time was neither connected to Internet nor had any potential of increasing my dignity as a young adult) before she rolled up and I began feigning distraction to cover up that I was not, in fact, okay. I glanced up from the screen to see embarrassment cross her face as she fell for my ploy, thinking that she had merely imagined the pale green color of my face. She quickly recovered herself and moved along. I, on the other hand, drooped back into the bench like a green bean left out in the sun to wilt away, realizing I would have to cancel my plans for the day and call for a shame-filled ride back home.

Thus, we come to the purpose of this year's fitness goals. I am not in it to lose weight, as the majority of Americans are planning hoping to do, and I am not trying to jump on the Better Body Now! bandwagon. Rather, my resolution is to get in shape so that I can be more active in my adventures and less fearful of my body's very limiting limitations. To do this, I hope to challenge my core, tone my arm and leg muscles, and prepare my body for a more pleasurable and longer-lasting lifestyle.


Workout Tech:
  • Smartwatch to monitor water intake, track steps/activity, keep time
  • Pandora-playing device for upbeat workout playlist

 Workout Snacks:
  • Granola for upping energy levels and maintaining organ health (along with a multitude of other benefits)
  • Water and fiber powder mix for attaining and maintaining healthy weight, along with promoting positive digestive health (as well as other benefits)


 If I have time in the morning, I like to do a 30-45 minute workout using 15 minutes for cardio (Zumba-style with videos found on YouTube), 15-20 minutes using my Fit Girl's Diary: Diamond Abs Workout, and wrapped up with a round of arm-targeted weightlifts, pushups, and squats. Once I have sweated enough for a day's worth of labor, I pamper myself with a nice long shower followed by a peppy breakfast of oats and granola and my fiber drink.

As I just started this workout routine with the Fit Girl's Diary abs challenge, I am still on the first training and practically dying after 3 rounds of straight leg raises, but I am relishing the pain as a sign of progress. After all, if you aren't feeling the burn, you aren't trying to earn.


What are your fitness goals for 2018?


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   Shop this Look:   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hello Goodbye Panda: Ross  | Smart Watch: Jane  | Diamond Abs Workout: Fit Girl's Diary

xoxo,
Sara

Saturday, December 30, 2017

2017 in Review!

Bonjour!

It has been one busy year! Within the confines of 2017, the blog has undergone a new look and new name, changing from its former Cover It Girl title to The Darling Petite in hopes of better representing style from the petite perspective. As the header says, "Though she be but little, she is FIERCE!" :D


Despite these changes, the reach of The Darling Petite covers the same bases as before- style and fashion being number one. Read on to see the top outfits of the year.


-----------------------------------------Darling Outfits--------------------------------------------
It was a cold start to the year, but January and March also had enough share of warmer days to get dressed up and head out.

What I Wore in January:
What I Wore on St. Patrick's Day:
What I Wore in St. Louis:

February was a favorite month of mine because it allowed me to highlight my wardrobe's preferred color: pink!

What I Wore in February: 


 And no capsule wardrobe to a tropical paradise is complete without nautical staples! Stripes and straw accents were a must with these three OOTDs.

What I Wore in Florida: 
#1
#2
#3 
http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/09/port-roma-docking-in-italian-inspired.html


-------------------------------------------Darling Trips-----------------------------------------------

No year is complete without a trip away! 2017 brought The Darling Petite to museums and gardens in a major metropolitan port city as well as to the beaches and charming canals of Florida.

Where I Went in St. Louis:
Where I Went in Florida:

----------------------------------------Darling Creations---------------------------------------


Creativity (and sugar) was flowing from the start when holidays in February and March came along!

What I Made for Valentine's Day:
What I Made for St. Patrick's Day:


-----------------------------------------Darling Reviews-----------------------------------------

Another year, another opportunity! The Darling Petite reviewed major event planner Eventbrite's Tampa Bay comic con, as well as a new start-up craze for sweet-toothed subscribers.

What I Tried (to do): 
What I Tried (to eat): 
http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-darling-review-universal-yums-boxes.html


You can also follow me on Instagram @petite_est_belle for daily style, food, travel, and more!


As always, thanks for following! I am excited to begin a new year of blogging and hope to keep The Darling Petite at the top of its game. It would be my pleasure to have you all as readers in 2018 and to share many more moments and much more style inspo in the future!


xoxo,
Sara

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

The Darling Review: Universal Yums Boxes

Bonjour!

This month I had the pleasure of trying a new product from an online subscription website for international treats- Universal Yums.com. I purchased the ~$15 box which had 8 different items plus an information guide (there are bigger boxes you can purchase for a higher price, but I wasn't interested in investing that much). At the time of ordering, I didn't know what country my box would be featuring. I went to Universal Yum's social media accounts and soon learned through Instagram that my box would be from Belgium! It took about 3 weeks for it to arrive and the waiting was AWFUL, but I was excited when it finally arrived and I finally got a taste of what makes Belgium famous- CHOCOLATE. Read below to see my thoughts on each item.


1. Picnic Suikerwafel (Belgian Waffle)
Maybe my favorite item (besides the truffles and seashells), the waffle is sweet and has a great crunchy texture. Definitely earns its name as a popular Belgian food! (Thumbs up!)

2. Chocolate Seashells
Like chocolate pebbles but bigger and better! Extra points awarded for the marbled chocolate. Thumbs up, up, and away!

3. Trefin Vienna BonBons
Citrus-flavored, tastes like high-quality jolly ranchers. Thumbs up!

4. Roger's and Roger's Black Pepper and Sea Salt Chips
Seasoning is good though light, tastes like any other black pepper and sea salt chips... thumbs to the side.

5. Caramelized Biscuit Milk Chocolate Bar
Tastes similar to a Kit-Kat. Thumbs up!

6. Hamlet Buttercream Truffles
Initial taste is that of unsweetened cocoa, but beyond that they were creamy and chocolatey. Thumbs up!

7. Crème Brulee White Chocolate
Mostly just tasted like white chocolate, but still rich and creamy! Thumbs up!

8. Strawberry Nougat
Strange texture and combination of tastes... (from delegated taste-tester) Thumbs to the side.


Overall, I loved the box! I'm not sure that the items would be worth the $14, but the anticipation and experience of eating treats from another country is definitely worth it. Next month is Turkey, so get moving if you want a piece of the East!

P.S. This post was not endorsed nor approved by the Universal Yums company. All opinions and views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of myself and my voluntary taste-tester.

Have you ever tried this product? What country was your box from?



xoxo,

Sara

Friday, February 10, 2017

Valentine's Day Mini Tea Party

Bonjour!






A sweet way to celebrate Valentine's Day single or in the ever-popular Galentine's Day mode. Continue on to see a How-To on the details.





1. Washi Tape Flag

As straight-forward as it sounds, this cute flag is simply washi tape wrapped around a toothpick.







2. Mini Platter

First, acquire two coasters. Cut napkins to fit around the area of the coaster (coaster #1) and then cut a patterned ring from the previous cut-out (coaster #2). Cover both coasters with the napkins, then carefully poke a toothpick through the two coasters, being mindful to keep enough space between to hold the sweets. Add more layers depending on the sturdiness of the coasters!



Now that that's taken care of, it's time to eat! Bon appétit, mes amis!

xoxo
Sara

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Part III: Striped Pastels and Macarons

Bonjour!








The school year has officially begun BUT the fun is just beginning. This year marks my final one in college and represents how far I've come since entering as a Freshman. I have made more friends than I can keep track of, have been more places than I epected, and have done things that I would have been too shy to do before. In fact, I think one of the best things college has done for me is to break my shell. And THAT was something that has held me back all my life.

Anyway, these pictures are from Florida and the great times had there. I discovered a macaron shop (!!!) in one of the malls we went to and I FINALLY got to try macarons for the first time. That was huge. Like bucket-list level. Not only was the shop adorable (as you can see from the pictures above), but the employee had a FRENCH ACCENT and I had to catch myself from falling over in wide-eyed, limp-jawed elation. Once I recovered, I asked her how to correctly pronounce "macaron" and have been saying it in my struggling French accent ever since. When I finally got to have a macaron I realized I don't actually care for the taste as much as I anticipated, but whatever. It was the whole eperience that was WORTH it.
 
I am going to try to be diligent with my posting as I get my study schedule figured out, so we'll see how that goes. As usual,

Adventure awaits!

Top: Ragstock | Bow Skirt: Romwe | Shoes: Shoetopia | Hot Pink Crossbody: Thrifted



Monday, July 20, 2015

How To Make: DreamMelon Float

Bonjour! Today I have, as promised, a recipe perfect for summer. Dubbed DreamMelon Float, it is packed with fruity goodness and makes a refreshing drink for anytime, anywhere.



You Will Need:
  • 1 gallon of sherbet (lime/strawberry used here)
  • 2 bottles of carbonated water
  • 1 watermelon
You Will:
  • Spoon about a dozen scoops of sherbet into a jug or other container (amount of sherbet can be tweaked at your discretion)
  • Pour in carbonated water (again, at your discretion)
  • Mix well, depending how much you want the sherbet to be liquified
  • Cool and serve (this will potentially cause the sherbet to melt completely. You can also freeze the drink to create a tropical medley-flavored sherbet)
  • Add a slice of watermelon to the top of the glass and enjoy, or cube a piece of watermelon to add floaters in the drink.
3 ingredients, so many choices!



xoxo, Sara

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

=| Stars and Stripes |=

Bonjour!














I hope you all had a spectacular Independence Day! Mine was filled with good food, s'mores, and watermelon dreams and some (safe) poppy confetti things at night. We also enjoyed the illegal fireworks that were uncomfortably close to our house and which caused excessive air/street pollution and hearing problems some days afterward. All in all, a fun day full of calories. I love America.

Also, if you are enjoying the pink frothiness of Watermelon Dream in the above picture, I will be posting the recipe soon! Sugar awaits! -sugar?- Adventure. Adventure awaits.

White Tee: Old | Denim Shirt: Thrifted | Shoes/Sunnies: Walmart | Love Crossbody: Gifted

xoxoxo, Sara