.: what's in my purse? :.

if you are anything like me, you are always on the go, yet always trying to find a simple way to 'sneak' healthy habits into your every day life!

in this post, i wanted to expose what i carry with me everyday in my purse - this could get scary, but when my purse is strategically stocked, i find little to no excuses to stray out side of simple healthy habits.

i do like big purses, but when i emptied my purse for this picture i noticed that i could probably downsize........probably won't happen....

water bottle - i ALWAYS carry a water bottle with me. i feel naked with out one! carrying water will deter me from buying juice, high-sugar coffee, sports drinks or spend unnecessary money on buying water. most places have water fountains to refill a water bottle, so it makes it even more convenient and cheap!

 

chapstick - who doesn't carry chapstick with them? i bought this EOS chapstick a few months ago and have yet to lose it! (knock on wood) keeping it in my purse has prevented me from misplacing it.

cuticle cutter and nail file - you see, i have this nasty habit of biting my nails and/or picking my cuticles depending on the season, but if i keep my nails looking clean, i am less apt to destroy them. must. have. nail file.

hand lotion - i absolutely HATE having dry hands. this also helps my bad habit mentioned above.

gum - whenever i have a naggging craving (think sugar or chocolate), i chew a piece of gum until it is gone. this also happens to keep my mouth busy - another way to trick my mind from biting my nails. it's a gross habit, i know.

hand sanitizer - you think it would be odd for a germaphobe to be a nail biter - well, nice to meet you! i HATE germs. whenever drew and i are in public places i am always pushing hand sanitizer. hand sanitizer comes in handy in SO many situations like leaving the yoga studio/weight room, at a coffee shop, grocery shopping, work, there are more places to use hand sanitizer than to not use hand sanitizer. plus, being sick a lot towards the end of last year, i feel like i am in a safe bubble with my hand sanitizer.

flossers - if you haven't tried these hand flossers, you are seriously missing out! working at a Medicare insurance company, it was eye opening how important it is to take care of your teeth while you are young to avoid insanely high cost services when you are retired. these flossers have made flossing seem less daunting and time consuming (plus, you don't have to stick your germ-filled hands so far into your mouth, gross). i can floss in my car, in my cube, pretty much anywhere now! also, don't you just hate when you have something stuck in your teeth and you can't get it out ALL day??? i sure do.

crystal light packets - these babies pack 60 mg of caffeine and only have 5 calories! i've started using these as a pick me up when i feel like i just can't have another cup of coffee. worth nothing, i also don't depend on these everday because i am sure the pretend sugar isn't that great for me....

green tea - i am totally OK with relying on these for my afternoon pick me up! i always have green tea packets on me - when you think about it, hot water isn't all that hard to get no matter where you are....

emergen-c - since getting sick, i have been trying to drink these more religiously. all you need to do is add water, but i know some people who just eat the powder....either way, by carrying these, i have no excuse to miss my daily Vitamin C dose.

vitamins/supplements - i don't take too many of these, but the ones i do, i have a hard time taking on a regular basis. if i carry them in a little tupperware container, they are always on me. another way to have no excuses.

ipod - please tell me when you don't need music.

aside from all of this, i also carry my wallet (obvi) and my datebook (always).

i hope you've found some things that maybe you can add to your daily routine by carrying it around in your purse!

please let me know if i am missing anything that i should add to my purse (lord knows, there is PLENTY of room to fit more in purses these days....)


always striving for more,

dee b.

afternoon pick-me-ups:.

if any of you are like me, you are probably close to being in a sugar comatose, thanks to Halloween. you also may feel like you are SO ready to get on a big health kick before the Holidays (after all, you don't want to be the one that the relatives 'poke' fun at.....again), BUT you are going to start after all the Halloween candy is gone.....right? i get it. before you reach for the 'almost empty' stash of Halloween candy, that is probably getting stale anyway (don't be ashamed, we've all done it), take some time to read this! i am a HUGE fan of snacking because eating 3 square meals a day is just boring. also, i sit in a cube all day and there are many moments of  'i'm bored, i think i'll eat'.

here are a few of my favorites (when i am doing myself a favor):.

homemade green tea and orange

coffee and larabar (recently discovered these, awesome!)

chobani, anyone? i told you these were a staple!

roasted and salted almonds (tip:. do not bring the entire bag to work with you...)

side salad with LOTS of veggies--it's like having 2 lunches!

unfortunately, i wasn't able to capture the candy bars, cheez-its or office cupcakes, but you guys get the picture, right? other favorites are apples (with or w/o almond butter), carrots, cottage cheese, string cheese and apple sauce. 

seriously, i am horribly guilty of having my tough afternoons when i hit up the vending machine or a co-worker's candy dish in a moment of vulnerability, but overall, i try to keep it light and healthy. i feel more energetic and focused to finished out the day. recently, i was reading an article that discussed how to avoid the after lunch or late afternoon crash (you know exactly what i am referring to--total post grad problem) and the suggestion wasn't a 5 hour energy. the suggestion was to keep it light; what do you feel like eating in the middle of summer? aside from ice cream, most of the time it isn't going to be a carb loaded, sugar ridden food, but rather something light and citrusy. by keeping it light, you will most likely be eating a food that will provide a steady release of sugar avoiding that rapid spike and dramatic crash (that 5 hour energy moment). think fresh fruit and veggies, green tea (especially if you are sensitive to caffeine in the afternoon), yogurt, pistachios, or a granola bar. extra bonus, if it is a source of protein!

do you guys have any suggestions for me to expand my afternoon pick-me-ups? 

always striving for more,

dee b.